The need to reduce automotive fuel consumption and emissions is well known. Therefore, vehicles are being developed that reduce or completely eliminate reliance on internal combustion engines. Electrified vehicles are one type of vehicle currently being developed for this purpose. In general, electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles because they are selectively driven by one or more battery powered electric machines. Conventional motor vehicles, by contrast, rely exclusively on the internal combustion engine to drive the vehicle.
A high voltage battery pack for powering electric machines and other electrical loads typically includes multiple battery cells. The battery cells release heat during charging and discharging operations. It is often desirable to dissipate this heat from the battery pack to improve capacity and life of the battery cells.